


Share Your Address

by thepocketdragon



Series: Sing to me Instead [9]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28553091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepocketdragon/pseuds/thepocketdragon
Summary: Some people only really make sense when you know where they come from. Sometimes, knowing the past is the key to unlocking the future.When Beca invites Chloe back to Seattle to meet her friends and family, Chloe finds herself falling deeper and deeper into daydreams about a life shared with Beca. A life in which, maybe, they happen to be more than just best friends.Pre-established Bechloe. One Shot. (A little pining because I can’t help myself).
Relationships: Chloe Beale & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Series: Sing to me Instead [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021515
Comments: 15
Kudos: 73





	Share Your Address

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one shot which forms part of the 'Sing to me Instead' series; a series in which I listen to tracks from Ben Platt's first album and think about Beca and Chloe in the context of the lyrics and the music. 
> 
> This one is less introspective than the others (I know! Shocker!) and is more story-form. It is set in PP2 times, somewhere between the retreat and graduation.
> 
> As always, I love feedback and am continually grateful for those of you who leave comments.

Some people don’t make complete sense until you meet their family. It’s as if they don’t quite fit in their context: their strange habits and quirks seem at odds with the version of their past they share.

Some people only really make sense when you know where they come from.

Sometimes, knowing the past is the key to unlocking the future.

Chloe can’t help but wonder if that’s why she’s got a fizzing feeling in her belly and a strange sense of anticipation running through her veins. 

She can’t help but see every version of Beca each time she walks past her, sorting the laundry and unpacking her bag. She can’t help but envision her naturally curly hair or the gap left by her baby teeth from the photographs she’s seen. She knows, now, where the music came from and knows how hard she must have fought to grow into the talented woman she’s becoming. She knows where she had her first kiss and where she used to hang out. 

After three days, she knows more about Beca Mitchell than she ever expected to.

Part of her knows she can’t let go. Not now. 

It’s too soon to say anything, but she can’t get these images out of her head.

Chloe knows there must be a reason she’s daydreaming about the next time they visit Seattle; that there must be a reason her pulse races slightly when she thinks about them arriving with one bag instead of two. 

It’s too soon to put into words, but Chloe knows she wants more. More past, more present and more future.

More time. 

Time with Beca.

///

“Hey, are you doing anything this weekend?”

Beca had slipped into Chloe’s bed beside her as she finished typing out her assignment for her favourite elective: African American Literature and the Harlem Renaissance. For a girl who vocally bemoaned invasions of personal space, Beca had very quickly got comfortable with sliding into Chloe’s bed beside her, leaning in close enough that her hair brushed against the redhead’s shoulder. Chloe saved her document before she answered.

“Not really. Why?” 

Chloe should have known something was off from the way Beca’s nonchalant question was so at odds with how weirdly fidgety she was being. She couldn’t make eye contact and her finger and thumb pressed in a rhythmic pattern across the top of the bed sheet.

“It’s nothing. Just, ah, it’s my friend’s 21st birthday. My friend from back home. And he’s invited me to his party thing and, well, I mentioned it to my mom and she sent money over for me to book a flight and she’s sent enough for you, too, so I just wondered if you wanted to go? It’s fine if you don’t.”

It took a moment for Chloe to absorb what Beca was asking; to remove the anxious intonation of her voice from her words and truly understand her question. 

“So you’re asking if I want to come to Seattle with you and meet your mom and party with your friends?”

Beca shrugged. “I guess. I mean, dude, don’t be expecting some kind of sweet 16 deal. When I say party, I mean literally a gathering of humans, possibly with beer and definitely with music, in my friend’s parents’ garage where we used to go to smoke weed. I don’t have fancy friends like you and Aubrey. I just know you don’t have any big plans next week and, well I… I’ve already said I’ll go but I need to book the flights so…”

Chloe couldn’t help but lean in and pull Beca into a tight hug. 

“Of course I’ll come with you.”

Beca had nodded and slipped out of the bed as soon as she got the approval she needed. Ten minutes later, Chloe’s phone had lit up with an email notification containing her flight information. 

“Alright, so that’s happening” she had muttered to herself before putting her phone on to charge for the night.

As Chloe drifted off to sleep, she let herself imagine the kind of life Beca had lived back in Washington. She pictured a tiny, plaid-adorned version of her best friend, her naturally wild hair tied in pigtails as she tapped out a rhythm on the metal of the jungle gym. She pictured her dark blue eyes lighting up the first time she heard someone mix two songs together. She couldn’t help but smile as her mind conjured up the image of a tiny Beca Mitchell bursting out into something ridiculous like ‘Enter Sandman’ or ‘Paint it Black’ while the rest of her second grade class mumbled their way through ‘Catch a Falling Star’ at their Spring recital. 

She began to wonder what Dr Mitchell’s expression would have been like. How he might have reacted. Quickly, the reality hit Chloe. He wouldn’t have been there. She couldn’t help but picture the tiny Beca in her mind scanning across the rows, eyes landing on her mom and the empty seat beside her. She wondered whether there had been a mouthed ‘sorry’ or a shrug. She wondered for how long Beca had been forced to push down those feelings- far too big for such a little person- and try and smile through it.

The Beca she had met at the beginning of her freshman year had been surly and grumpy and closed off. Chloe hadn’t spent a lot of time with Dr Mitchell or Sheila, but she had heard enough of the arguments and had dealt with enough of the tirades that came after a Sunday lunchtime visit to know that much of the shadowy darkness she had lived within when they had first met came from him. From the history they shared and the way Beca couldn’t quite forgive her father for his absence throughout her childhood and- latterly- the way he left for good when she was 14.

She couldn’t help but wonder whether Beca would be different in Washington.

She couldn’t help but wonder if, maybe, Seattle would change her too.

///

Naturally, the rain came down in sheets from the moment the plane landed. Beca stretched her legs in her seat, ignoring the glare from Chloe as both of her knees cracked loudly. 

“Alright, mom said she’d be outside by the time we get through. Her, ah, her car is pretty easy to spot.” As she hauled her hastily packed backpack onto her shoulder, she smiled at Chloe. “See? This is why I never put luggage in the hold if I can help it. Everyone else has got to wait for their cases to a) be thrown out of the plane by a guy who will dent everything because he isn’t paid enough to care and b) be pushed around on that weird massive sushi rollercoaster. Whereas we can skip straight through and work on begging my mom to take us home via the drive thru coffee place because the shit they serve on this airplane doesn’t have nearly enough caffeine in it.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and pulled her own bag out of the compartment above their seats. “Your caffeine addiction concerns me.”

“Beale, you’re in Seattle. Coffee is basically a religion here. Watch your mouth.”

Beca tried her best to ignore the strange buzzing sensation she felt when Chloe laughed, melodically and sweetly, out loud. Instead, she reached for her hand and helped her out into the aisle. “Come on. My mom has been asking to meet you for three years. Let’s not keep her waiting.”

By the time they made it out of the arrivals foyer and into the fresh, Washington air the rain had begun to slow slightly. Beca pointed into the distance towards a bright orange Volkswagen camper, complete with floral decal on the side. 

“Wow. Mama Mitchell’s got some wheels!”

“I told you she was easy to spot” Beca said with a smile as she began to walk quickly towards where a small, dark-haired woman was waving. “Also, her last name is Forrest. The last time I heard someone accidentally call her Mrs Mitchell, she threatened to pull out their ovaries with a spoon and wear them as earrings. So, you know, bear that in mind.” Chloe gulped and nodded, following Beca across the wet pavement, already stunned by how different Beca’s parents appeared to be from one another.

As soon as they reached the car. Beca was scooped into a tight hug. Loud smacking kisses were plastered on every inch of available skin her mom could find. “Mom! Stop! You’re getting lipstick all over me!” All the response she got was a hand reaching out to ruffle her hair before their attention was drawn back to their guest. 

“Mom, Chloe. Chloe, Mom.” Beca gestured with her head as she used her sleeve to wipe at her forehead. 

Chloe smiled as she leaned into the open arms of Beca’s mother. “Call me Laura” the woman said gently. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I thought Bec was never going to take the hint that I wanted you to visit. I guess I should have offered warm beer and cheap weed like Dominic did; apparently all it takes for my baby girl to decide to fly across the country is the promise of a crappy party.”

Beca’s skin flushed as she took the banter from her mother. Leaning in, she pulled her into another hug. “I missed you, mom.”

Laura simply rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure. Anyway, I did ask my daughter if you had any dietary requirements, Chloe, but she didn’t answer my text. Also, grandma is coming over for dinner, Bec, and I didn’t know if you were still not eating dairy so I held off on deciding what to make. All of which means, girls, we’re going to have to go home via the store.”

Beca glanced across at Chloe. “Fine with me if it’s alright with you?” She checked in gently. Chloe’s only response was a smile. Beca turned back to her mom. “Fine with us. I, ah… I guess it wouldn’t be too much to ask for you to take us via the good drive-in coffee place? I mean, it’s practically on the way and also I’m your favourite child.”

Laura chuckled as she patted Beca’s shoulder. “Honey, you know that’s not true. Ned is my favourite child. He’s loyal. And, well, friendly.”

“Ned?” Chloe asked quietly as she followed Beca into the back seat of the van, “I thought you were an only child?”

Laura glanced back in the mirror as the engine rumbled to life. “Ned is my Labrador. The only man who has never failed me.”

“Oh I love dogs!” Chloe’s exclamation came out slightly more enthusiastically than she had been anticipating, which made Beca smile. “How old is he?”

“He’s almost six.” Beca watched her mom’s ring-laden hands as she steered the van onto the highway. “And I’m guessing that, if you didn’t know Ned existed, you won’t know that it was Beca who got him for me?”

Beca felt herself going red as Chloe glanced at her, eyes dancing over her face as she responded. “No. Why? Is there a story?”

Beca shrugged. “I saw him on a dog rescue page on Facebook just before I was due to go to college. And, well, mom kept talking about how much she wanted a dog so I just… surprised her.”

“Oh, Chloe, it was incredible. She planned all of the timing and everything so that he was ready to move in just as she packed up. It… it was the most thoughtful thing she’s ever done for me.” Beca caught her mom’s eye as she glanced back. “I’m very lucky.”

“You are” Beca said back quickly, “I’m the best.”

Chloe’s grinning smile, the way she glanced between Beca and her mom, did not go unnoticed. 

///

“So, Chloe. Beca tells me you’re originally from Oregon. Do you still have family up this way?”

Chloe relaxed into her seat as Laura pulled out of the parking lot of the supermarket and onto the highway. Their shopping trip had been fairly uneventful but Beca had managed to sneak in a couple of packets of cookies when her mom had been looking for the ‘good soy milk’. 

“I was born here and so was my older sister, but we didn’t stay long. My dad took a job back in Florida before I started kindergarten. So, ah, although my passport says Oregon I don’t have any ties. My entire family is in Florida and Tennessee.”

“Tennessee? Beca’s always wanted to go to Nashville. It was all she talked about when she was a kid. Maybe you two could do some kind of post-grad road trip? You could even hire a camper like this one. Although,” Laura paused as the car rumbled loudly, “maybe a slightly newer model would be safer.” 

Chloe couldn’t help but smile across at Beca. “We totally should.”

It wasn’t long before the van began to drive into a more residential area. Chloe looked out of the window as Laura spoke. “So this on the corner is Beca’s high school. I’m very proud to say that my kid still holds the record for the most number of detentions given to anyone who went on to score above a 1300 on the SAT.” She pointed out at a large house on the next street. “And this is the house where Bec had her first kiss when she was 12. Not usually the sort of thing a mother finds out, but if you’re going to do it on the roof of the building in a neighbourhood this small, word will travel.”

It was impossible to miss the way Beca rolled her eyes. “Mom, Chloe really doesn’t need a guided tour. It’s not exactly Beverly Hills…”

She was cut off by Laura’s raised hand. “Honey, I’ve been waiting for you to bring this beautiful girl home since the end of your freshman year. Please let your ageing mother have some fun?” The way Beca glared at her mother was enough to make Chloe laugh out loud. “You didn’t have real friends until junior high, Bec, and even then you never invited them over. I’ve got so many stories and I’ve been saving them for a moment like this.” 

“Fine.”

“Grandma has some tales, too, I’m sure.” Laura glanced back at Chloe in the mirror. “She’s really excited to meet you, Chloe.” Chloe couldn’t be sure whether the wink was aimed at her or Beca. “She used to babysit Beca every night while I was at work, so she’s got the best stories. Like how this one time…”

“So, this is my elementary school” Beca butted in loudly, glaring at the back of her mom’s head. “I was adorable, as you can imagine.”

“You were cute on the outside, Bec” Laura said teasingly. “Until you tried to cut your own bangs in the third grade. After that? Not so much. You looked like Eddie Munster.”

“Mom!”

Laura simply laughed as she pulled the van up onto the driveway of a small, timber-clad house painted in a sky blue. “Chill out, princess. Chloe will find the photos anyway. I’ve left my favourites out for her to see. Even framed some of the best ones.” She paused as she killed the engine. “Anyway, welcome home.”

Beca groaned dramatically as she unclipped her seatbelt. “Well, we’ve visited. Time to go back to the airport.”

Chloe couldn’t help the excitement bubbling within her. “Nope. I’m with your mom. Come on, Bec. I want to see every single school picture. How old were you when you started with the eyeliner?”

///

Beca couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as she put her bag down on her bed in her childhood room. 

“So… I should have checked before we arrived, but you’re okay with sharing a bed, right? I… I mean, we have the couch but Ned usually ends up there and, well, he farts in his sleep.”

Chloe simply smiled. “Of course I am, Bec.” She looked around the room, eyes landing on a framed photograph of a teenage Beca and her mom on vacation. “Your mom is so different to what I expected.” She paused, looking at Beca in a way that made her stomach lurch. “You kind of make more sense now.”

“Really?” Beca sat down on the bed and unzipped her bag, pulling out the sweatpants and t-shirt she had packed to sleep in. “Why do you say that?” She couldn’t help but watch Chloe as she moved around her room. It felt strange to see her in this space; a space that had been completely sacred for so many years that even most of Beca’s friends had never been inside. 

“You’re nothing like your dad. Well, not really. I… I guess I always wondered whether the sarcasm was a rebellious thing. But, well, now I’ve met your mom it all makes sense.”

“Yeah, she gifted me with the cynical parts of my personality. I can argue like my dad but I’ve got mom’s wit. I mean, it’s a winning mix if ever I’ve seen one. It’s that combination that got me all of those detentions my mom so kindly told you about.”

“I bet” Chloe said gently, sitting down next to Beca on the bed, “I think it’s my favourite combination. Well, except for, you know, pretzels and peanut butter.” There was a pause for a moment. Beca tried her best to make it look like she wasn’t spending every second trying to unpack what Chloe had just said. A quiet sigh pulled her back into the room. “You know, I’m really grateful that you invited me here, Bec.”

“I’m really pleased you said yes. My friends have been asking to meet you for about two years. Maybe more, actually.” Beca didn’t do bashful, but she felt her skin blush as her words landed. Chloe picked up on it straight away. 

“Oh. Talking to your friends about me are you, Mitchell?” Her tone was teasing, light and playful but Beca knew that there was an ever-lingering implication. Something she hadn’t yet found the words to explain. 

“No. Well, yeah. I… I just…”

The sound of the front door opening and a hollered “Beca-Bee! I’m coming to squeeze ya!” was enough to halt their conversation. Beca felt a rush of relief, before the realisation that Chloe Beale was about to meet her grandma brought every queasy feeling right back to the surface. 

“Grandma’s here” she said, pointing to the door as if her completely obvious statement didn’t explain everything. 

Chloe smiled and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Beca-Bee?” Her eyebrow quirked upwards. Beca knew she was blushing by the time her hand reached out for the door handle. 

“Shut up.”

///

Chloe couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips as she watched Beca be pulled into a tight hug by her grandma, Ned the labrador bouncing alongside as he desperately tried to get in on the action. 

“Grandma! Put me down!” Beca wriggled, trying to avoid the dog’s dancing feet as she loosened herself from the grasp of the older woman. “Honestly, could you at least tone down the crazy bitch act while Chloe’s here?”

That was enough to get Beca free from her grandma as the woman, who was almost identical in stature and appearance to Beca’s mother (save for a 25-year age gap), turned to Chloe and tilted her head. “Well, finally. Hello, my darling.” Chloe couldn’t help but feel warm the moment the woman’s eyes landed on her. “You know, Beca used to be my favourite granddaughter but since she just called me a crazy bitch, there’s an opening.” Chloe’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she spotted how much Beca’s grandma was trying not to laugh. “Oh, come here cutie” she held out her arms. “It’s so good to finally meet you. You know, the way Bec talked about you- how pretty and talented and smart you are- I was starting to think she was making you up. But then, well, holy shit. Here you are.”

Beca mouthed an apology over her grandma’s shoulder. “Grandma! I thought I just told you to tone it down? Poor Chloe isn’t used to this kind of harassment. Now put her down and come give me all the gossip from old lady poker night. Which one of those two guys did Maureen Simmonds bring with her this week? Harold or Victor?”

“Oh, Bec, she has a new slice every week. You should have seen the look on your Aunt Maud’s face when she saw her come in with this one on her arm. He can only be 60 at the most.”

Beca gasped dramatically and clapped her hand over her chest. “That hussy!”

“Oh, I know. I mean, it’s one thing to be seeing all of these men, but to bring them to poker night? Poker night is sacred. Anyway, your Aunt Maud is fairly certain she taught this one piano back in the day.” Chloe couldn't help but be drawn in to the way Beca listened to her grandma. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen her so invested in anything that wasn’t music-related. “Well, she said she remembered him because he was so tall. And then Phyllis and Frida- you know, from the bookstore- well, they started talking about the height difference between them but I said ‘ladies, we all know that height don’t make a blind bit of difference when you’re on your back’.”

Chloe swallowed down the burst of laughter threatening to leap out of her mouth. She looked up just in time to see Laura standing behind her mom and placing her hands on her shoulders. “Look, I love to gossip as much as the next person but if we could refrain from slut-shaming half of the population of the Shady Pines facility, I’d appreciate it.” 

“I’m just saying, honey. There’s no judgement here.”

Beca rolled her eyes. “Yeah, no judgement, grandma. That sounds like you.” A sharp finger reached out to poke her ribs. Beca yelped and turned away, glaring at the older woman. 

“Alright, keep it calm please. Dinner’s almost ready.” Laura groaned audibly as Beca and her grandmother began to play fight on the couch. She turned to Chloe with an apologetic smile. “I can’t believe I used to let her babysit. Honestly, they’re like a pair of children. And then the dog gets all riled up.” She paused and held up her hand. “Ned, go to your bed.” The dog, far more obedient than either of the humans in the giggling mass of limbs on the couch, did as he was told. Laura sighed and shrugged. “Well, I made my veggie pot pie at your request, but if you two are too busy fighting, I guess me and Chloe will just have to share” Laura winked at Chloe. “And, you know, while you’re not there to supervise, maybe I’ll take the opportunity to tell Chloe what happened that day at the aquarium…”

Beca shot up, her eyes wide. She stared directly at her mom. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Laura simply grinned and tilted her head. “You wanna test that theory? Or do you wanna stop being a brat and come pretend we’re a civilised family for the rest of the evening?” Once Beca had got up and was helping her grandma to her feet, Laura turned back to Chloe with an apologetic smile. “They’re always like this when they haven’t seen one another for a while.”

Chloe nodded. “I don’t mind. Honestly, it’s adorable. I… I don’t think I’ve ever seen Beca this happy to be around people.” She paused, knowing it was too late to disguise the honesty that was about to pass her lips. “I think she missed you more than she lets on. It’s nice to see her smiling like this.”

She chose to ignore the searching expression on Laura’s face and instead waited for Beca to lead her to the table. As they sat down, Beca’s grandma immediately reached out and took a handful of leaves from the salad bowl, putting them straight into her mouth so that strands of greenery protruded from her lips. Beca rolled her eyes and leaned her head on her hand as she addressed her mom.

“What was that you said about us being civilised?”

Laughter erupted from all of the women around the table. 

Chloe’s cheeks ached from smiling before she’d even picked up the silverware.

Watching Beca in this room, she couldn’t help but want to get to know this version of her best friend. She couldn’t help but be pulled into the mystery; couldn’t help but appreciate the privilege of glimpsing the inner workings of Beca’s very private world. 

It had only been a few hours, but Chloe couldn’t help but wish their trip was longer. 

///

“This is delicious. Thank you so much, Laura. Is it a family recipe?”

Beca grinned at Chloe from across the small dining table. “Are you flirting with my mom?” She noticed the way Chloe took a moment to process her question. It was odd, she realised, that she didn’t ever overthink in this house. Not with her mom and her grandma. She had no reason to; those two women had seen the best and worst of Beca Mitchell and- unlike her father- she knew she had their undivided, unconditional love exactly as she was. 

“I mean, if that’s what it takes to get the recipe, sure.” Chloe quipped back, winking across at her. Beca relaxed. It had struck her as odd that she hadn’t been anxious about introducing Chloe to her family. This, she realised, was why. Chloe made everything easy. She just fitted in. Like she’d always been there. 

There was a part of Beca that hoped she always would be. 

She swallowed the thought down as her mom explained to Chloe exactly how her recipe came to be. She didn’t miss the way her grandma watched on, eyes darting between them all.

“It’s an old recipe from when I worked in the kitchen at Children’s Hospital. It’s super easy. In fact, I’m surprised Beca hasn’t made it for you. She used to work weekend shifts in high school.”

It was impossible to ignore the way Chloe’s eyes bored into the side of her head. “You… cook?”

Beca shrugged. “I mean, my job was mainly chopping vegetables. You know I can’t be trusted near fire.” Chloe had to accept that. Beca was clumsy at the best of times. “Anyway, I do have the recipe written down somewhere. I’m sure we could figure it out between us when we get back. Without the dairy, it’s vegan, too so Ashley and Jessica will be able to have some.”

“We could make it for their anniversary. I think it’s coming up.” Beca nodded at Chloe’s suggestion.

There was a lull in the conversation as everyone ate. It was Beca’s grandma who broke the silence. “Forgive an old lady for her confusion, but do you have to be a lesbian to sing in your little choir? Is there a quota you have to fill for extra funding or something?”

Beca glared at her plate, wishing the world would swallow her up. Her cheeks, she knew, were glowing red. Her pulse pounded in her throat as her eyes darted around the space, desperately avoiding contact with Chloe. 

“Mother!” Laura reprimanded loudly. “Do you remember how to be tactful?” She paused, looking between Beca and Chloe. “Sorry girls. You know she doesn’t mean to offend.”

“None taken. I know the vegan thing has always caused her some confusion” Beca finally managed to say. She glanced across at Chloe and tried her best to smile away her panic. “But, no grandma. Veganism and lesbianism aren’t the same thing. And we’re an equal opportunity group. As long as you’ve got a set of lungs and a set of tits, you’re welcome to try out to be a Bella.”

The sparkle in Chloe’s eyes was enough to force Beca to walk the tightrope between dread and anticipation. She smiled across at Beca. “We should put that on the flyer.”

“You should. I mean, at least then you know what you’re getting.” Beca’s grandma paused and looked at her granddaughter. “By the way, missy, when do I get to see these girls in action? I’m sick of this DVD bullshit. Get me to a concert before I’m too deaf to hear what’s going on.” 

“Grandma, I told you I’m not letting you come. You’d make me too nervous.” Beca looked across at Chloe. “You know, when I was a kid and she was my only audience while mom was working, I used to play my guitar and sing for her. She used to refuse to clap unless it was perfect.”

“Well, honey, you know I wasn’t about to give myself arthritis for nothing.”

Beca took a sip of her drink and smiled over her glass at the older woman. “Well, I guess I’ve got you to thank for my ever-present self doubt.”

“I mean, you take the good with the bad. Yes I may have given you a complex, but I think you’ll find it was also my genes that blessed you with that rack.” If that hadn’t been bad enough, time had slowed down when Beca’s grandma turned in her seat to wink at Chloe. When the words “you’re welcome” left her lips, Beca groaned out loud. 

“Jesus grandma!”

A soft kiss was pressed to her hand as her grandma held it out in front of her. With a wry smile, she blinked softly at Beca. “Go on. Tell me again how much you missed me.”

As Beca turned over her grandma’s hand and kissed it lightly, she caught a fleeting glance from Chloe. A glance she knew she would have to investigate more when they were alone. 

///

Chloe Beale had always been the type of person who fitted in just enough. In school, she had been pretty and athletic and smart, which had been enough of a winning combination that nobody paid attention to her quirks. In college, the quirks had come to the fore a little more but she had found a group of people who understood her obsessiveness and put up with her lack of filter or impulse control because she could match pitch and dance in heels.

Her family had always accepted her for exactly who she was, but she wasn’t sure she had ever been her full, true adult self without holding back at least a few factors. Beca, she knew, was the same. Guarded, with six feet of wall build up to protect herself. From the way she behaved with her dad, Chloe had assumed that it was simply one of the brunette’s many personality traits. She had never assumed that Beca’s mom would be so different that Beca would blossom this way before her very eyes.

She had never assumed that there was anyone else who knew Beca better than her. 

Chloe couldn’t help the way her mind raced; the way she immediately began to question why Beca- this Beca, laughing and joking and carefree and light- had never made an appearance before, even when they were alone. As Beca walked back into the room and clambered into bed, the scent of toothpaste lingering around her, she turned to face her. 

“Chlo, I can hear your brain spinning around in that pretty little head of yours. Is everything alright? I’m… I’m sorry if my grandma freaked you out. She’s a little full on.”

Chloe couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know, it’s usually me people say that about.” She sighed, leaning her head back on the pillow. “I guess… I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.” She felt Beca lean in closer, her hand resting on top of the covers. 

“Try please?”

Chloe took a breath, staring up at the ceiling. “I… I guess I’m just surprised by how different you are here, Bec. It’s weird because you’re still you but I can see how happy you are. It… it makes me wonder whether I’m doing something wrong because you’re not like this back at Barden.”

The silence sat heavily between them for a few moments until Beca pulled herself closer and reached out to take Chloe’s hand. 

“I am happy here. It’s… I can’t help but smile when I see how much my mom loves this house and how free she is. And, well, Ned is pretty cool, too.” Chloe felt Beca sigh. “I don’t have to worry about anything here. Mom’s fine, grandma’s fine, the dog is fine. There’s no arguing and, now my college is being paid for by my dad and mom doesn’t have to feed me every night, she’s got enough money to be comfortable. I… I can relax when I’m here.” Her fingers squeezed around Chloe’s as she continued. “The Bellas house is many things, Chlo, but it’s not relaxing. It’s full of highly strung college girls who all have deadlines. We’ve got Worlds to think about and, well, then I’ve got Amy as a roommate which means I’m constantly concerned about who or what she’s going to drag up the staircase when she thinks I’m out.”

“And me?” Chloe couldn’t help herself. “How do I make you feel?” She cleared her throat, panic rising as she realised the gravity of her question. Quickly, she rephrased. “Actually, scratch that. How… what can I do to make you feel more like this when we’re back in Georgia?”

“Just be you.” It was clear from Beca’s voice that she was tired. Slowly, she leaned in closer to Chloe and let her head rest on her shoulder. “I promise you make me happy. I’ll do my best to show you.”

Beca’s deep, even breaths pulled Chloe towards sleep. As she closed her eyes, she realised their hands were still clasped together. Part of her couldn’t help but wonder if, maybe, this Beca- Seattle Beca with her lowered defences and her flimsy walls- told the truth with more ease. If, maybe, their joined hands were a signal that, when there’s nothing to fear and nothing to hide from, Beca could let herself love Chloe in the way she had always hoped. 

At least, she thought as she finally fell asleep, she knew she made Beca happy. 

For now, that would be enough. 

///

Beca was still asleep, her head only just poking out from under the covers, when Chloe woke up the following morning. Slowly, she pulled herself out of bed and stretched before tying her hair back and reaching for her carry on bag. It was a beautifully crisp morning and she had spotted a park not far from the house on the drive down. It would be shorter than her usual run, but it was a part of her routine Chloe didn’t like to compromise on unless she really had to. Finding a scrap of paper and a pen, she scribbled a quick note and left it on her pillow before leaving to get changed and find her shoes.

The morning felt fresher than Georgia usually did. The slight chill in the air made Chloe’s cheeks flush; a sight that made her smile as she caught a glimpse of herself in the window of a parked car. With her headphones in her ears, playing the first mix of the worlds set Beca had created since their outburst at Aubrey’s retreat, she thought of nothing except choreography and harmony. Pausing outside the house as she caught her breath, Chloe took her phone from her pocket and made a note of her ideas before walking up the steps and quietly opening the front door.   
“Morning Chloe” Laura was sat at the table nursing a cup of coffee. “Bec said you’d gone for a run.” Chloe couldn’t help but wonder if the older woman, so much like her daughter in appearance, had noticed the way she looked for Beca as she walked through the door. Part of her wondered if Laura knew it was a habit she had been pulled up on before; it didn’t matter which room they were in- Chloe couldn’t help the way she always looked for Beca first. Her response answered Chloe’s question. “She’s in the shower. She left you breakfast though and there’s fresh coffee in the pot. There’s also tea in the cupboard above the sink if that’s more your thing. Just help yourself to whatever you’d like.”

Chloe thanked Laura and walked into the kitchen, smiling as she realised Beca had made her pancakes and decorated them with a banana smile. She found a mug and poured out a cup of coffee before walking back to join Laura at the table. Chloe had taken a few small bites of her breakfast before the older woman spoke again. 

“Chloe, I just wanted to apologise for my mother. She… she doesn’t always read the room well. I just wanted to make sure you know she never means to offend. She’s just a crazy old lady with no filter.”

Chloe took a sip of her coffee and nodded at Beca’s mom. “Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry. I, ah, I actually said to Beca last night that it’s usually me that people apologise for. I get the no filter thing and, well, I thought she was hilarious. No apology needed.”

Laura smiled gently. “As long as you’re sure.” Another sip of coffee left both women in a moment of silence. “Chloe, while I’ve got you alone,” Chloe couldn’t help but feel nervous as Laura began to speak, “I just wanted to check whether everything is alright with Beca at Barden? I… I noticed something you said yesterday about never having seen her this happy and, well, I can’t lie, it got me a little worried.” She paused. Chloe took in her words and thought for a moment about her conversation with Beca the previous evening. “She’s always been a little unpredictable emotionally and I’m sure we both know that me and her father have a lot to do with it, but…”  
“She’s fine” Chloe said gently. “I… I think I was just surprised because, well, I’ve only ever seen Beca with her dad before and she’s not like this with him. I guess I just had never seen her properly relaxed. But here…” Chloe pushed her hair back off her face. “I think she’s happy to be home, that’s all.”

Laura put her mug down and rubbed her hands together. “I see. That makes sense.” She ran her forefinger over the ring on her thumb as she paused. “Bec’s always worked so hard to prove her worth. We both know she doesn’t need to but she’s always been a stubborn little shit.” Chloe chuckled. The knowing glance between her and Laura was enough to show that she understood completely what she was getting at. “You know,” Laura began with a smile, “she still holds a grudge against her old piano teacher. Even though he’s 86, poor man. He belittled her and made some comments she didn’t like and she couldn’t hack it. Well, you’d know all about that I suppose.” Blue eyes met Chloe’s over the rim of her coffee cup. “I mean, that’s why that German girl got in her head.” Laura blinked and took a sip of her coffee. “Well, one of the reasons…”

Before Chloe could ask for clarification, Ned’s bark alerted her to the fact that Beca was in the entrance to the room. As her pulse slowed back down to a normal rate, she smiled across at her best friend who was wearing old sweatpants, a green t-shirt with the Starbucks logo on it and had left her hair to dry naturally meaning that it was already forming delicate curls of mousy brown. It had taken Chloe until halfway through junior year before she had even got Beca to talk about her natural curls; she had never seen her so comfortable to wear her hair down without it being flat ironed first.

“Oh good, you found the pancakes,” Beca pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, “did you like the face?” Chloe nodded as she chewed. Beca didn’t wait for a response. “I just got a text from Jenna, by the way. They need us to pick up beers on the way so make sure you remember your ID.”

Laura tilted her head towards her daughter, a stern look on her face. “And those would be legal beers for of-age people, right Bec?”

Beca shrugged. “I mean, they’re closer to of-age now than they were the last time I saw them? Certainly more of-age than when you used to look the other way and let me steal Miller Lites out of the fridge? Anyway, it’s only for me, Chloe, Jenna, Maggie, Dom, Zach and Brandon. We’re not exactly about to get into trouble. I’m the only one with any kind of criminal history and that’s only I got arrested at a freaking acapella competition for being in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”

“Alright, I see your point. I’ll take it you’re walking?”

“Yeah. Dominic’s already got the system set up since I was flying in. I… I do need to find my old USBs though. Any ideas? They’re not in my room.”

Laura reached a hand out to take Chloe’s empty plate. Leaving her with her half-finished coffee, she got up from the table. “Go and check if they’re under the TV cabinet in that purple box.”

Before Chloe could say anything, Beca had raced across the hallway into the small living room and was crouched in front of the TV pulling out boxes and rifling through them. Draining her coffee cup, Chloe walked to the sink and began to rinse it out. 

“Oh honey you don’t need to do that. Here, let me.” Laura waved her hand to take the cup. Chloe smiled as she realised it was exactly the same thing Beca did. “You’re a guest. No chores for you.”

Chloe smiled. “Actually, on that, I realised I’d forgotten to thank you for my ticket. I… I really wasn’t expecting you to have paid for me to come out here.” There was an unspoken edge to Chloe’s words. She knew money had been a struggle in Beca’s childhood and she knew that the divorce had been hard financially on Laura. For her to have paid for Chloe to fly to Seattle was a huge outlaying. “You didn’t have to do that. But thank you.”

“Listen, after everything you’ve done for Beca these last few years it was the least I could do. I know she’s not easy and you’ve stuck by her. Plus, selfishly, I wanted to meet you and we both know my daughter’s skills in avoiding would mean that wouldn’t happen if we left it to her.” Laura paused and patted Chloe on the shoulder. “Chloe, I’m so happy Bec found you. Or, well, you found her. Isn’t that how the story goes?”

Laura’s hearty laugh only made Chloe’s blush grow more furious. 

///

“I’m sorry, she said what?” Beca asked as she and Chloe walked down the street towards Dominic’s parents house. 

“She… implied that she knew the story of how we met. Which means someone” Chloe looked pointedly at Beca, “must have told their mother about how I pushed my way into her shower.”

“And?”

“And?” Chloe gasped, “Bec! She might have thought I was about to molest you or something!”

“Well, the thought did cross my mind…”

A quick poke to the ribs stopped Beca’s response in its tracks. She couldn’t help but grin as Chloe turned to face her. “Does your grandma know?”

“Why do you think she made that lesbian joke?”

“What?!”

Chloe’s mouth was still hanging open as Beca led her through the side door and into the garage. Turning to smile at her best friend, she nudged her and stared at her until she shook herself and turned back into a functional human.   
“Beca’s here!”

Before Beca could stop it, her friends had accosted Chloe and had begun chatting excitedly to her as they took the beers from the crate she had been carrying. There was no point in fighting it (fighting would only make it look like she had something to hide), and so she took the opportunity to move over to where Dominic had set up the sound equipment and plugged her USB- complete with a playlist of all of their high school favourites plus some new mixes- into the waiting laptop. 

“DJ Mitch, back in the house” Maggie was the first of her friends to approach her. Beca let herself be pulled into a loose hug before stepping back. “Man, you look good. Is there, like, super nutritious water in Georgia or something?”

Beca rolled her eyes. “Shut up. I… I guess I just work out more since we’ve been training for Worlds.”

“Never thought I’d see the day. Beca Mitchell actively participating in organised fun. With girls, no less! Like…” she looked over at Chloe, “girly girls!” Before Beca could speak, Maggie had placed a hand on her wrist. “Dude, what’s the deal with her? Are you, like, together? When I heard your mom had paid for her plane ticket I wondered if you’d finally…”

All Beca could do was lower her eyes and shake her head quickly. 

“Ah well, a party full of your weird stoner friends from high school is as good a place as any to drop the l-bomb.”

“Nah. After worlds, maybe. Just… I don’t know, man. Jesse’s still… Well, he’s still something.”

“He’s not as much ‘something’ as her though, right?” Beca licked her lips and swallowed, trying not to make it obvious that she was watching Chloe over Maggie’s shoulder. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have invited her out here to meet us all.”

“Invited who where?” Chloe had bounded over to Beca and glanced down at the sound system. “Ooh! Did you put the Sia mix on there?”

Beca could feel the way Maggie watched on, the way her eyes darted between her and Chloe as they spoke. Chloe was, still, a close talker and personal space had never been something she’d shown respect for where Beca was involved. It wasn’t an overt signal that anything was happening between them, but she understood that- to an outsider- it might look like an indication. 

“Yeah, it’s queued up”. 

“Perfect.”

It was incredibly hard not to flash her middle finger when Maggie winked at Beca and made a kiss face as she walked away.

///

Every single tagged picture gets a ‘like’ from Chloe.

The picture of her dancing wildly as Beca drops the beat in her favourite mix. The one she was pulled into at the last second by Maggie as the entire group posed and pulled stupid faces. The one Beca snapped of her snuggling with Ned on the couch the morning after the party while Laura made them toast and let them ride out their hangovers before their evening flight.

They’re all precious memories to Chloe. Memories of an adventure; memories of belonging to something that Beca didn’t share much of. It’s not just about her friends or her family, it’s the places and the stories and the comforting sensation, hot coffee in hand and the Simpsons on the TV, that wasting time with Beca felt right.

It felt like home.

Every picture is a promise Chloe makes.

It’s a promise of more. More adventures. More visits. More sharing. More talking. More being. 

Her room in Barden feels too big, now. It’s only been an hour since she left Beca to unpack. It’s only been an hour but she misses her in a way she didn’t expect. It’s the little things she craves; doing laundry and making pancakes and brushing their teeth together. Even the way Beca steps out of her jeans to change for bed and just leaves them where they land feels endearing, now.

She’s had a glimpse of what the future could look like. A future that includes sharing a suitcase and being each other’s emergency contacts and arguing in a furniture store over a couch they can’t afford. A future in which their mail comes addressed to the same number on the same street in the same city and they take it in turns to collect it in the mornings.

Chloe has always found it hard to think about the future in any concrete way. It’s always been full of unanswerable questions and the lingering anxiety of failing. This, though? This is different. It’s only a daydream for now, and it’s far too soon to say out loud all of the things she pictures, all of the things she craves, but it’s the first time she’s ever known what she wants her future to look like.

As her phone lights up, she can’t help but smile. 

“Come here. I miss your stupid face.”

It had only been a daydream, only a fantasy, but Chloe can’t help but wonder if- maybe- Beca wants more, too. 

More of her past. More of her present. More of her future.

More time.

Time together.


End file.
